Navigating a Culture Hostile to Biblical Values
The 2024 presidential election brought the potential dawn of a new day for Christian witness, as final tabulations in those early morning hours of November 5 gave focus to a resounding victory for the Trump/Vance ticket. After all, one of the cornerstones of their platform was to bring the viability of Christianity once again to the marketplaces of America. Regardless of our personal positions on tariffs, immigration or even inflation, those who name the name of Christ were encouraged that their voice would at least be given an opportunity to be heard without being drowned out by demonic culture warriors.
For a time, it appeared that there was indeed a new paradigm in Christianity, and perhaps there still will be. After all, there is at least anecdotal evidence combined with a spattering of scientific polling data that many now are seeking to know more about Christ and even the pursuit of a personal relationship with the Savior. There were even whispers that young Gen Z males were leading the way, perhaps because they have now been told that it is okay to be Christian.
Yet as Christians stopped to bask in the sunlight of this newfound freedom just to be followers of Christ without attack, demonic forces have once again reared their ugly heads. You see, it may be all right for now to practice our faith within the halls of our churches, but God forbid that we would attempt to do so in the marketplace. That is not to even mention the foreign concept that a biblical worldview might cause us to have an opinion about some cultural issue that is in direct contravention of a popular societal viewpoint.
Colorado House Bill
Now, before you accuse me of overreacting and being unnecessarily triggered, consider, if you will, Colorado House Bill 1312, which makes it a crime to “refer to someone by the wrong pronoun or use their birth name.” According to a recent CBN News story, “The bill defines ‘misgendering’ as intentionally referring to someone using a different pronoun, while ‘deadnaming’ means purposely using their birth name rather than their chosen name. At the center of the controversy is a provision calling on courts to consider a parent using either of those toward their child as coercive control in custody cases.” This obviously has significant issues for parents when it comes to raising their own children according to biblical standards.
In response, the ERLC has provided church bulletin inserts that state, “If passed, this bill will force people to use language that violates their consciences and religious beliefs. It would also expose individuals, ministries, and religious organizations to legal action for simply affirming a biblical worldview of sex and gender.” The problem is that the bill has already passed the Colorado House and is headed to the Senate, where there is a solid Democrat majority. When it passes that low hurdle, it will head to the desk of Governor Polis, who has indicated that his signature will happily be applied.
Even in the decidedly “red state” of Florida, a mother is in the middle of litigation with her local middle school, which helped her daughter secretly “transition.” The mother explained that the school “took it upon themselves to intervene and socially transition my child” merely because her daughter and a group of her friends allegedly became “fixated on their gender identity.”
Firestorm for Flying the Christian Flag
Not only that, but columnist Todd Starnes and others have pointed out that Hartford, CT, apparently created a firestorm by, of all things, flying the Christian flag in honor of Holy Week and Easter. The usual “freedom from religion” crowd of Satanists and atheists vociferously complained. However, last year, when the pride flag was flown, it was dubbed as nothing more than an act of inclusion, and it showed that “Hartford was a place of belonging.” Unfortunately, that is just not true if you are a Christ follower.
Perhaps more perplexing than all is the creeping concept of the ends justifying the means mentality evermore present in some segments of American culture. In other words, to this misguided grouping, anarchy is preferable to order if you happen to disagree with the norm, regardless of its legitimacy. Furthermore, “rigging” the system in an unethical way becomes the accepted methodology in order to get what you want. In its rawest form, almost any action is justifiable based on the personal importance of that which you seek. This whole concept, in some twisted way, has evolved even to the inclusion of the justification of murder to make some sort of statement about a perceived grievance. You certainly have to look no further than the glorification of the killer of the UnitedHealth CEO to know that this paradigm already exists. It is only a matter of time before this illogical “logic” is turned on Christianity. It happened in ancient Rome, and it will happen again, maybe even in America.
According to the godless culture fraught with the desire to rid the world of anything that speaks of morality or faith, here is the deal. If the church wants to be secure and left alone, just go inside the stained-glass windows, close the door, and keep your faith to yourselves. Sadly, many churches are willing to do just that. Others have chosen to take the easy path of compliance with social mores that are completely inconsistent with biblical teaching. This is the picture of the apostate church in America, and you can count them among the spiritually dead and dying.
Path of Compliance & Silence Is Not an Option
The easy path of compliance and silence is not the journey of Christ. Thankfully, there are many fine examples of churches led by fearless and faithful shepherds who are leading the way in facing the giants of a counter-Christian culture. For them, Southern Evangelical Seminary (SES) will be that watchman on the wall to support those whose heart truly belongs to Christ. We at SES are vitally cognizant of one of the final commands of Christ found in Matthew 28:19-20: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (NIV). If you look, you will find us standing firmly with our brothers and sisters against the onslaught of godlessness in our nation. Because we love our nation, and we are bound to Christ — we can simply do no other. In doing so, we will not be silent when it comes to cultural issues in which there is a decidedly biblical position, whether it be abortion, sexuality, crime or socialism. If Mr. Trump happens to pursue a scripturally moral posture, we will not hesitate to agree with him. That does not mean that we are Christian nationalists as some may claim, but rather clearly and unambiguously we will be approaching our increasingly decadent culture with a scriptural perspective backed up by the power of the Gospel.
By the way, I almost forgot to remind my fellow believers of the last part of verse 20, and perhaps there is no better time to do so than now. Jesus not only gave us the command to disciple and teach, but He also left us these words of assurance: “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” With that everlasting and eternal promise of Christ Himself, we will be steadfast in the truth even if it triggers an unbelieving, vociferous, and even violent opposition. Though the opposition be fierce and troublesome, our prayer will be for His courage to fill our hearts, and that God will forgive our broken nation. For so many do not know what they do.
